I, the heir of the great Eastern nation

Looking at the excited faces outside the door, Liu Zhao smiled slightly.

"Folks, what are you doing here so late at night? Is there something you need?"

Upon hearing Liu Zhao speak, the others fell silent.

Old John, the village chief of Hongguo Village, stood at the front, scratching his head as he respectfully replied.

"Your Highness, no...nothing, it's just that everyone is happy to hear that you are coming to Blackstone Territory as lord, so they all want to come and say hello to you."

As he spoke, he took a basket full of dried fruit from the person next to him.

"Your Highness, everyone is now very familiar with the production method you taught us. This is our latest batch of the highest quality dried fruit, which we brought especially for you to try."

Besides Old John, the other villagers nearby also handed over what they were carrying.

"Your Highness, these are fresh fruits that I picked today."

"Your Highness, this is freshly made jam."

"Your Highness, I caught a wild rabbit this afternoon; I'm giving it to you!"

"..."

The villagers, their faces filled with excitement, handed over the items with a mixture of trepidation and anticipation.

Liu Zhao grinned and accepted it all.

"Okay, okay, everyone, you've all been very kind."

"Wow~ this rabbit is pretty strong, perfect for a nice treat tomorrow, hahaha."

With a broad smile, Liu Zhao personally accepted everything that everyone offered him.

Seeing this, the villagers couldn't help but blush with excitement.

"Your Highness, now that the goods have been delivered, we will not disturb you any longer. Please get some rest."

Led by old John, the villagers bowed respectfully to Liu Zhao and then slowly left.

York and Simon, who had heard the commotion, had already come over and stood by without saying a word.

"After you've packed everything up, go to sleep."

Liu Zhao smiled and gave an order before turning and walking towards his room.

As Liu Zhao passed Christine's room, he saw her peeking out of the door, still half asleep and wearing her pajamas.

"What's going on? Why is it so noisy?"

Liu Zhao waved his hand.

"Nothing's wrong, go to sleep, you still have work to do tomorrow."

Okay, goodnight.

……

The next day, in the morning.

The manor hall.

After getting up, Liu Zhao first strolled around the manor before slowly walking back to the main hall.

Christine was already sitting there.

"Where did you go?"

"I took a stroll around the manor to see what good things the former lord left me."

"So, did you find anything?"

"Unfortunately, there's nothing here. Everything of value has been taken, not even a chicken was left for me."

Liu Zhao sighed softly and sat down in the chair next to Christine.

Christine gave a soft hum.

"This should be expected. After all, they've been the lord for so long, and you, an outsider, suddenly parachuted in to reap the rewards. Anyone would be unhappy in that situation."

Liu Zhao shrugged, indicating that he didn't care.

Christine continued.

"Oh right, I was in such a hurry yesterday that I forgot to tell you."

My mother told me to tell you that His Majesty has granted you the title and land of a baron, but not any men. This is clearly a test for you, but it's alright. She will select a few capable men and send them to you in the next couple of days, so you don't need to worry.

Liu Zhao smiled upon hearing this.

"Is that so? Then thank you very much for your support, Auntie and the Lance family."

The two had only exchanged a few words when York's voice came from outside.

"Your Highness, there are people outside requesting an audience. They are village chiefs from various villages, church priests, sheriffs, tax collectors, and guard captains."

Liu Zhao nodded.

"Let them all in."

Soon, a total of eight people entered the hall one after another.

Among them was Old John, the village chief of Red Fruit Village, who had visited the previous night.

"Greetings, Lord."

When these people looked at Liu Zhao, they all subconsciously glanced at the title of protection above his head.

Golden-colored [Han Dynasty Imperial Clan Members].

The golden title, though not dazzling, was so powerful that it made everyone feel dizzy from its sheer significance.

"You're here! Please introduce yourselves."

"Greetings, sir. I am Sheriff Graewell."

"Good day, sir. I am Webber Sean, the tax officer."

"Greetings, sir. I am Captain Richard Nolan."

"Greetings, sir. I am Priest Milo Bryan of the Church."

"I am John, the village elder of Red Fruit Village..."

"I am the village chief of Baishui Village..."

"I am……"

Although it had been some time since Liu Zhao transmigrated, he was still very unaccustomed to these Western-style surnames. After hearing them once, he forgot half of them and only remembered two points.

First, none of the four village chiefs were of noble birth.

Second, the priest's surname was Lao Da.

However, none of this matters.

"I've just arrived in Blackrock Territory and I'm still unfamiliar with many things about the territory, so I'll have to rely on you all a lot in the future."

Now, everyone, please tell me about the basic situation of your respective territories.

For their first meeting, Liu Zhao chose a gentler approach to conversation.

This made the expressions of the people present relax.

The group of people then began to talk about the work they had been responsible for.

However, the more Liu Zhao listened, the more his eyebrows furrowed.

Because, apart from John, the village elder of Hongguo Village whom he knew well, who honestly told him the specific situation of Hongguo Village, what the other people said was all very similar.

Poor harvest, high security pressure, bandits stealing grain, heavy tax burden, and inability to pay wages.

To sum it up in one sentence:

The previous lord had taken all the money, so there was no tax to be collected, and the lord was penniless.

From beginning to end, these people were complaining to Liu Zhao, the new lord, in all sorts of ways.

This blatant practice of putting pressure on people without taking responsibility made even Christine, who was sitting next to her, frown.

After listening, Liu Zhao did not express his dissatisfaction in public, but simply nodded slightly.

"Alright, I understand. You can all leave now. I'll call you if I need anything."

This reaction surprised everyone, but none of them showed it, and they quickly left.

After those people left, Christine frowned.

"If what these people say is true, then the Blackstone Territory you've taken over is a completely hollowed-out mess. It has nothing. Although the workshops in Red Fruit Village are a decent industry, they are ultimately just a drop in the ocean for the entire Blackstone Territory."

"What are you planning to do? Or should we wait for the support from the Lance family to arrive, and then have them help you make improvements?"

Liu Zhao shook his head at this.

"No need, we can start working on it now."

"What are we doing? We don't even have any men under our command right now."

Christine was taken aback.

"Of course, we should investigate first."

Liu Zhao stood up.

"One of my teachers said it well: 'No investigation, no right to speak.' This is such a large territory, the truth is definitely not something they can explain in just a few words."

"Let's go and see for ourselves what kind of lives the people of Blackstone Territory are living."